Improvement in folding tables



R. M. LAMBIE & G. F. SARGENT.

FOLDING-TABLE. No.171,145. Patented 1m. 14, 118 75.

Wi nesses fiwelzl ars. (5. 6 B Wu, f,

N-PEYERS FHOTO-LITKOGRAPHH. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orruo'.

ROBERT M. LAMBIE AND GEORGE F. SARG-ENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,145, dated December 14, 1875; application filed November12, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that we, ROBERT M. LAMBIE and GEORGE F. SARGENT, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Tables; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof. I

Our invention relates to that class of tables in which the legs are arranged to fold against the top, so as to occupy less space when not in use, or when packed for transportation. The invention is particularly applicable to tables such as those'for which Letters Patent were granted to Patrick Munde, dated August 5, 1873, (N 0. 141,453,) and to Jasper E. Lanibie, Robert M. Lambie, and Patrick Munde, dated April 28, 1874, (N 0. 150,330,) but is applicable to tables of various descriptions, and

, also to foot-rests, seats or benches, and other articles.

The invention consists in a novel construction of the hinges by which the legs and top are connected to each other, whereby simplicity, cheapness, and efficiency are obtained; and in a novel construction, and combination with the legs and top, of a brace and its connections, whereby the legs are securely held in position when at rest, and their proper operation is insured when in the act of being folded or unfolded.

The legs are made in pairs, and two pairs are applied to each table. Each pair may consist of a frame formed of a single piece of wood, metal, or other material; or the frame may be made of a number of pieces connected in any suitable manner. On the upper portion of the frame, or the upper ends of the legs, are pivots, which engage with sockets in a plate or bar secured to the under side of the top, thus forming hinges, and allowing the legs to oscillate, so as to be folded against the top, or to be unfolded to support the same. At a suitable point (preferably near the center of each frame or pair of legs) is a socket, for engagement with two studs projecting laterally from one end of a bar, which serves as a brace for holding the legs firmly in position when unfolded, and for securing their proper motion when in the act of being folded or unfolded. The socket is of such form as to allow the studs or pivots to be readily inserted, and when in place in the socket the studs bear withequal pressure in two opposite directions. At the other end of the bar or brace is a laterally-projecting arm, formed for engagement with a keeper secured to the under side of the top, so as to insure to the arm a rectilineal direction when in motion, and compel the legs to move parallel with each other when in the act of being folded or unfolded. The keeper is provided with a sliding spring-bolt, near one end of which is an inclined surface, working over a depression in the keeper, by means of which, when the legs are unfolded to support thetop, the lateral arm ofthe brace is forced into the depression, and retained there by the bolt, so'

as to cause the brace to hold the legs firmly and steadily in position, and prevent any movement of the brace until the bolt is pushed back.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a mode of carrying out our invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table, with the top represented as partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a view of the keeper. Fig. 3 is a view of the brace. Fig. 4 is a view of the plate or bar containing the sockets for engagement with the leg-pivots. Fig. 5 is a view of the socket which engageswith the pivots or studs on the brace.

The top A is of any suitable construction, shape, and dimensions, according to the general character of the table, and is provided with two pairs of legs arranged to fold against the top. The legs B B of each pair may be connected by a lower horizontal cross-brace, O and a center-brace, C of such construction as to form a light but strong skeleton frame-work. At the upper end of each leg is a pivot, 1), parallel with the top A and transverse to its length, the two pivots of each pair extending toward each other. A plate or bar, D, (see Fig. 4,) is provided, at its two opposite ends, with two sockets, d d, of such shape and size as to engage with the pivots b .b of the legs, and allow said pivots to work freely but snugly therein. The. legs are at-.' tached to the top by means of the bar I), which is secured to the top, by screws or other fastenings, in the position shown in Fig. l, with the pivots b and sockets d engaged with each other, and thus forming hinges, which allow the legs to oscillate in order to fold or unfold them.

- For supporting the legs when at rest,and for preserving their proper motion when in the act of being folded or unfolded, we employ a brace and connections of peculiar construction. The brace (see Fig. 3) consists of a bar, E, at one end of which are two studs, 0 e, projecting laterally from two opposite sides, and forming pivots for engagement with a socket in the frame-work which carries the pair of legs.

The socket G is located, preferably, near the center of the frame. It is represented in the drawing as formed in one piece with the centerbrace It is provided with two semi-cylindrical seats or bearing-surfaces, g g, for engagement with the studs e e. These seats or bearing-surfaces face in opposite directions, and each has one end open, and at a distance from the other, in .the direction of its aXis, equal to the width of the portion of the brace E nearest the studs 6 e. The brace is connected to the socket by first inclining it slightly, so as to insert one of the studs in place in its seat, and then moving it to a position at about a right angle with the axis of oscillation of the legs, so as to place the other stud in its seat or bearing-surface.

The studs thus form a pivot for the connection of the brace and the leg-frame, and permit of the oscillation thereof, to fold or unfold the legs, while the studs bear with equal pressure in opposite directionsone of them tending to push the frame in one direction, and the other tending to pull it in an opposite direction, and each compensating for the other-and thus hold the legs firmly and steadil y in place; and their displacement is prevented by a projection, e". v(Shown in Fig. 3.)

- On the opposite end of the brace E is an arm, F, extending laterally from one side thereof, and provided with two lipsor lugs, f f, for engagement with a keeper secured .to

the under side of the top A.

The keeper consists of a bar, H, of a width corresponding with the space between the lips or lugs ffi having its ends curved in such form that, when attached to the under side of the top A, sufficient space is left between the surface of the top and the main portion of the bar to allow the arm F of the brace to slide'freely. The brace being connected to the frame and placed in such position as to insure the accurate working of the pivot in the socket, the keeper isthen secured to the top in such a manner that the two lips or lugs f f engage with the two opposite edges of the keeper; and thus the arm is free to slide longitudinally of the keeper, and, at the same time, is secured against lateral or vertical displacement.

By this arrangement the proper motion of the leg-frame is insured when in the act of being folded or unfolded, as the arm F is guided and compelled to move in a perfectly straight line, at right angles with the axis of oscillation of the legs; and all tendency totwist the legs or their hinges is completely avoided.

Near oneend of the keeper H is a recess, in

which works a sliding bolt, I, provided with a spring, which has a,tendency to keep it pushed forward, and with a thumb-piece, j, for pushing it backward. The nose or front portion of the bolt I has an inclined plane, 03, on its under side, and works over a depression, h, in the keeper H.

When the legs are unfolded to support the top, thearm F. slides in the keeper until itreaches, the end of the bolt I, which it pushes back in the recess, and then drops in the depression h of the keeper, whereupon the bolt, being no longer obstructed by the arm, is pushed forward by the spring until the inclined plane?) rides over the arm and wedges it firmly and steadily in place in the depression. When the legs are to be folded, the bolt is pushed back by means of the thumbpiecej, so as to allow the arm F to leave the depression h, and slide in the keeper to its former position.

When the shape or dimensions of the top are such asto render it necessary to arrange the two keepers side by side, the braces E may be curved in such form as to enable them to pass each other without contact; but in other -cases they may be straight.

By the construction-and arrangement herein described we are enabled to produce a.

cheap, simple, strong, durable, and efficient hinge for connecting the legs and the top, and the brace and its connections hold the parts firmly and steadily in place when at rest, and insure their proper operation when in motion.

If any part should he accidentally broken, its place can be readily supplied by a duplicate without the necessity of replacing ,any other part.

, The peculiar construction of the brace and socket obviates the necessity for drilling a hole for a pin to serve as a pivot, and enables the brace to be removed and replaced by simply loosening the keeper. 7

Having thus described our invention, and the manner of carrying out the same, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- v 1. In a folding table, seat, or other article,

the combination of the legs B, provided with pivots b, turning inwardly, and the plate or bar D, provided with sockets d, with the top A, substantially as herein described,

-2: The socket G, having the seats. or bear.-

ing-snrfeces g g, in combination with the brace keeper H, having the depression h, and the E and studs 6 6 carried thereby, substantially arm F and brace E, substantially as and for as shown and described. the purpose shown and described.

3. The arm F, formed on the brace E, and

provided with the lips or lugs ff, in combina- R. M. LAMBIE.

tion with the keeper H and its depression h, GEO. F. SARGENT. constructed, arranged, and operating substan- Witnesses:

tially as shown and described. E. R, BROWN,

4. The combination of the spring-bolt I, the M. M. SABGENT. 

